A former engineer at Eminem’s studio has been charged for leaking more than two dozen unreleased songs — a move the rapper’s team says caused serious damage to his legacy.
Who’s Involved?
Joseph Strange, who used to work at Eminem’s studio in Ferndale, Michigan, is now facing federal charges. He’s accused of secretly selling over 25 unreleased Eminem tracks to a buyer in Canada for $50,000 worth of Bitcoin.
These songs were recorded between 1999 and 2018 — some of Eminem’s most iconic years. Reports say a group of fans even pooled their money to buy the leaked songs.
How He Got Caught
Investigators traced the leaked music back to Strange after discovering the exact same audio files on a password-protected hard drive inside the studio. That led them to file serious charges: criminal copyright infringement and interstate transportation of stolen property.
If found guilty, Strange could face up to 15 years in prison.
Eminem’s Team Responds
Eminem’s team isn’t staying quiet. A spokesperson told People magazine:
“We will continue to take any and all steps necessary to protect Eminem’s art and will stop at nothing to do so.”
They also emphasized how much this betrayal hurt the rapper’s legacy:
“The damage caused by a trusted employee to Eminem’s creative integrity cannot be overstated.”
What Strange’s Lawyer Says
Strange’s lawyer, Wade Fink, says the charges are “untested.” He describes Strange as a family man — a married father of two — with a solid music industry career before he was fired from the studio in 2021. Fink did not go into detail about the reasons behind the firing.
